


Sidekick

by CatrinaSL



Series: Three Things [58]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Allergies, Birthday, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, Cat, Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Kissing, M/M, Multi, OT4, Orange, Polyamory, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, Secrets, Surprise Party, Surprises, Three Things, giggly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 03:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13402608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatrinaSL/pseuds/CatrinaSL
Summary: Clint and Darcy have the perfect birthday planned for Bucky. Now if only Steve will agree...





	Sidekick

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kactus_Wrynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kactus_Wrynn/gifts).



> Kactus_Wrynn prompted cat, orange, giggly.
> 
> I was offered several ships to pick from, but then I thought... why choose?

Steve and Bucky looked up suspiciously when Clint and Darcy giggled into the common room.

"What are you two up to?" Steve asked.

""Nothing,"" they chorused, bringing on another fit of giggling.

"Mmhm," Steve hummed, unconvinced. 

"K, bye," Darcy said, stifling another laugh as Clint grabbed the entire coffee pot and they made their exit.

"Buck, do you wanna...?"

"Got it, Stevie."

Later that afternoon, Steve was straightening the paperwork on his desk when Bucky loomed into his doorway.

"Figured out what they're up to," he reported.

"Yeah?" Steve asked, frowning a little at the apprehensive look on Bucky's face.

Bucky nodded, then cocked his head, gesturing for Steve to follow.

He did. Bucky led him down the hall, into the stairwell, and up two floors. Then they entered a storage closet (where Steve started to get suspicious that Bucky only wanted a nooner), slipped behind some shelves, and paused next to the wall, where there was a cover for the ventilation system.

Steve sighed. "Really?"

Bucky nodded.

"I  _ told _ him to keep her out of there! After last time—"

"This isn't like last time, Stevie," Bucky said. "They're not that far in, I promise. Will you come?"

He seemed concerned, worried. Which meant that Steve was feeling the same, only double. "Yeah, Buck, of course."

It was a squeeze, but they got Steve's shoulders into the ventilation system. Bucky crawled ahead, scooting to the side when it widened out enough for Steve to join him. Bucky held a finger to his lips to ensure Steve's silence, and pointed to a nearby opening.

That's when Steve heard Darcy giggle again.

He peeked through the opening, and caught sight of her dancing backward away from something. She let out another delighted giggle, then gasped and looked their direction.

"Clint?" she called.

"Hey," Clint said. Steve couldn't see him, but Darcy turned away from where he and Bucky were hiding, so he assumed Clint had just entered from below.

Darcy laughed again, relieved. "I thought I heard you coming in from a different spot," she said.

"Nope, this is still the closest way to the common room," Clint replied. "How's he doing?"

"Getting lots of exercise in," Darcy said, her voice full of mirth.

"Might be time to let him have some rest, then," he told her. "Tasha wants to do lunch; I thought we could plan the surprise party."

Darcy gasped, excited, but then her face fell. "I hate leaving him, though..."

"I know," Clint said. "But it's just for an hour or so, and then in a couple of days..."

"Yeah," Darcy said, leaning down out of Steve's sight. "But what if Steve says no?"

"He won't," Clint assured her. "I'd be more worried about what Tony thinks."

"Meh," Darcy said, straightening again. "I'll tase him if need be. Or we can set Natasha on him. We just got Bucky the best birthday present ever, and he's not going to stop us from making his day."

"That's what I'm saying about Steve," Clint said softly. "He'll never say no to something that's going to make Bucky happy. Remember when we first all got together?"

The sight of the fond smile on Darcy's face warmed Steve's heart. "Yeah," she said. "You're right. Thanks. You're my favorite Clint."

"You're my favorite Darcy," Clint returned, and Darcy leaned out of Steve's sight, toward Clint, he presumed.

"Darce," Clint murmured a few seconds later. "Tasha's waiting for us."

"Yeah, sorry. Rain check on the ventilation system makeouts?"

"Makeouts, yes, ventilation system, no," Clint replied, his voice echoing up to them. "You know what Steve said, after last time."

Steve turned to Bucky as their voices faded, but Bucky held out a hand to silence him again, waiting.

Finally, Bucky leaned toward the opening, and let out a soft but trilling call.

A little trill answered him, along with a very tiny, very adorable: "Mew?"

And Steve understood. He followed Bucky carefully out of the air duct.

* * *

Bucky's surprise party  _ was _ a surprise. 

He and Darcy went to bed three days before his birthday, but Steve stayed up late to finish up some paperwork. Just as he got up to join them, there was an alert to Assemble. Clint, Natasha, and Thor were already off on a mission, so that combined with Steve's lack of sleep made it just about the worst time for them to be called away.

Darcy sleepily wished them goodbye—Steve didn't even have a chance to give her a kiss—and the two of them raced out of the apartment...

And into the common room, where the Avengers were Assembled to shout, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Drinks were had, cake was consumed, and promises were made never to fake Assemble alerts ever again. Darcy appeared, fully dressed—Steve  _ did _ have a chance to give her a kiss—and Bucky was happy.

Happy, but nervous.

He and Steve hadn't discussed the present that Darcy and Clint planned to give him. Bucky had said that it was because he didn't want to ruin his surprised face any more than it was already, but Steve knew that it was because he, like Darcy and Clint, worried that Steve wouldn't be on board with the gift.

It was true that Steve had been violently allergic to cats when he was a kid; his eyes would well up and he'd sneeze for hours if Bucky happened to pet a stray in the street. His allergy was nearly as bad as Bucky's desire to have a kitten of his own.

But that was before the serum, and Steve was sure he'd be fine... probably.

Maybe  _ he _ was a bit nervous, too.

The party wound down; Natasha and Thor waved the four of them off to bed, exchanging knowing glances as they assured Darcy that in the morning there would be no traces of the party in the common room.

Bucky gave Darcy a piggyback ride back to the apartment with Clint headlocked under one of his arms, and Steve followed, amused by the scene. Bucky turned so Clint could open the door, and all three went through the doorway sideways, Darcy ducking her head so she wouldn't hit it on the door frame.

"Stevie," Bucky breathed as Steve closed the door behind them. 

Darcy slid off Bucky's back and stepped out of the way so Steve could see the cage in the living room.

And the little orange cat inside it.

"We thought it was about time you had a sidekick," Clint said as Bucky released him and began to walk toward the kitten.

Darcy helped him open the door of the cage, and the kitten pounced on Bucky, clawing its way up his shirt. By the time it got up to perch on his shoulder, it was purring up a storm.

Bucky turned a look on Steve that could have melted the heart of the world's most infamous cat-hater. He didn't say anything, but the 'can I keep him?' look was so obvious that he may as well have.

"The serum... should have gotten rid of my allergy, don't you think?" Steve said. "I never have a problem whenever Kate brings Lucky over, and I used to be just as bad with dogs, remember?"

"I can schedule you an allergy test this week sometime," Darcy said, "But if it turns out you still are, Natasha said she'd love to keep him in her apartment, and Bucky can visit."

"Thank you," Bucky whispered, pulling Darcy in for a hug while making sure his little sidekick wouldn't lose its balance. Darcy grinned at Steve from within Bucky's embrace, and Steve smiled back.

* * *

Six months later, Sidekick jumped onto Steve's face at 4 am.

"Whose idea was this?" Steve wondered aloud as he got up to feed the cat, making sure not to disturb Clint and Darcy, who were still apparently allowed to sleep.

When Bucky was gone, Sidekick seemed to think that Steve was in command, and so his face was the one that got jumped on. Bucky never minded being woken at 4 am, nor the method of waking... although maybe Bucky and his cat had a different system for breakfast time that didn't include anyone’s claws in anyone's chin.

Sidekick wound around his legs as Steve dumped food into his dish and switched out his water for fresh. The door to the apartment opened just as Sidekick was digging in, but he abandoned his morning feast to zip across the apartment and climb Bucky's pant leg until Bucky pulled him off and deposited him on his shoulder.

"Sorry," Bucky said as Sidekick nuzzled his face. "I meant to be back before breakfast time."

"It's okay," Steve told him. "I'm just glad you're back."

"He wasn't too much trouble, was he?" Bucky asked, stepping over to pull Steve in for a kiss.

"For you?" Steve said, forgetting the fierce pounce that had woken him. "Never."

**Author's Note:**

> What could have happened to make Steve ban air vent makeouts...?
> 
> [Prompt a Three Things fic!](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7S2MbkK0CxVHMG3kF8CD6fYqD0zwY-J6MqLb21nmFyRpE4w/viewform)
> 
> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/169818379898/sidekick)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


End file.
